I Created A Monster
by MidnightGemstone
Summary: Yugi is starting his freshman year in a totally different school across town, ready for a new start. The place seems prominent enough, but a small act of kindness turns into an unexpected tangled web of drama that could cost Yugi his academic future—and his sanity.
1. Chapter 1

**Short Preliminary Notes:** This story contains **one** major character death. It wouldn't be a good story if I told you who it was, but just in case you wanted to back out of reading this story now. . . well that could be a good reason. The main pairing in this story is **Puzzleshipping,** although there are many others included. I'm also introducing two **original characters** in later chapters. This story is **rated M**, meaning there will be at least one major sexually explicit scene included. Also, drug/alcohol use, teen partying and violence will be mentioned. Again, you've been warned.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters, nor do I make a profit from these stories. This is for entertainment purposes ONLY.

* * *

Where Yugi was coming from, everything was gray; bland; uneventful. From the near empty malls, cluttered, litter ridden beaches to the stagnant vibe of mediocrity in the atmosphere wherever he went. There was nothing for him in the town of Aurora—which thankfully he was smart enough to realize that long ago. It was motivation for him to work hard for a scholarship to get into Domino Academy across town, and though his grandfather would miss him no doubt, Yugi knew he had to get out of that house. There was only so much verbal abuse he could take from across the kitchen table from someone who was in too much of a drug-induced stupor to even realize what she was saying or what was going on around her most of the time.

And in addition to living in the shadow of . . . _him._

Part of Yugi felt guilty for leaving his grandfather back home with his mother. No one deserved that kind of punishment, not even his worst enemy. There was even a point where Yugi was going to stay home for that very sake but grandpa refused. He didn't want Yugi to sacrifice his academic future like that. Deep down, Yugi was relieved, though partially still remorseful.

"You look excited," grandpa stated, sarcastically of course, because Yugi looked anything but. He was absentmindedly staring out of the window at the morning sun that baked the fields of grass with its warm glow. Light dew encompassed the dirt road, softening the muck and making the tire tread that much more quiet. The scenery was evolving from a dead end environment to something much more elegant, serene, aesthetic and posh. Grandpa turned into the long, brick road, taking in the full bushy trees and pristine grass that appeared to be freshly cut on either side of them. He was barely surprised that Domino Academy had accepted Yugi into their fold—with his grades, his soccer skills and recommendations from his former coach and mentor, he was practically a shoo-in.

"Don't I look excited?" Yugi finally replied, turning his head and half smiling at his grandpa. He honestly was, but not only was he at a lost for words, but he felt torn. Was this really the right thing to do? Go to a completely different school where he knew absolutely no one? He couldn't help but think that he wouldn't do as well as he potentially could because he was a bit socially anxious.

"Well act like it," grandpa scolded, then snorted. "I went through a lot to get you here. And plus, if you don't want to go, you know what the alternative could be."

Was that a threat? Yugi swallowed and gazed at his grandpa, feeling regret for how he felt but surprisingly, he didn't look angry. Feeling triumphant, grandpa smirked and winked at him and continued on his path.

Yugi returned the smile, looked forward and sighed. "I just don't know what to expect at this place gramps. And plus, how will you manage at home by yourself with _her_?"

The contempt in Yugi's voice when he mentioned his mother almost sounded second nature. As though he didn't even give it another thought anymore. He'd never seen another side of that woman to even feel otherwise. A lot of words came to mind, but bitch was something that fit her to a T. Yugi would never say that out loud, however. He still had an image to uphold to his grandfather.

"I've been doing it for the past six years," Solomon Muto said, as if he expected the subject of his daughter to come up eventually. "I don't want you to think of what your mom is doing while you're at this place. Just focus on making good grades and playing soccer. And meeting some new people."

The latter Yugi wasn't sure he could do. He barely had friends at his old school. He didn't really appeal to the masses, and even if he wanted, how in the world would he be able to talk to anyone with his horrible social skills? He wasn't exactly the conversationalist of the year.

Oh well, whatever. It's not like it would matter much at Domino. This school was most likely pretty strict on everything. Plus Yugi would be so busy with classes that making friends seemed obsolete. So at least he would have an excuse not to get close to anyone.

The rest of the car ride was a comfortable silence as grandpa slowly strolled along the chalky dirt road that lead up to the school. At first there was nothing surrounding them except maybe the world's biggest lawn on either side of them and naturally there were two landscapers on either side preening the area. How only two people could do that, Yugi could guess but he was probably better off not knowing. The closer and discernible the school became, the more nervous Yugi grew. Though they were still relatively far, Yugi didn't see anyone around. He was hoping to so maybe they could direct him to where he was to go, but seeing as there wasn't a single soul around, he'd probably have to go looking himself. Awesome.

Grandpa must have been thinking the same thing. "You need any help finding your dorm?"

No. Yugi had to find the dean's office first. He needed to know his schedule but he didn't want grandpa to know that. The last thing he needed was to be chaperoned. He wasn't a baby that needed to be held by the hand and escorted around campus. He needed to prove his independence now.

"No, I got it gramps. Really." Yugi didn't sound very convincing. But when they pulled up in front of the main office and parking area, Yugi focused his energies on removing all of his suitcases and belongings from the trunk. There was no earthly way that he could carry all of this stuff on his own, but he wasn't going to let his grandpa know.

"Crap." Yugi growled under his breath when one of the luggage proved too sturdy and fell on his foot. He must have played it off pretty smoothly because grandpa didn't comment or even seem to notice. He continued to gather his things, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead as he did so as gramps attempted to muster up any ounce of strength in his elderly bones to help out. He knew he wasn't even a lick of help but leaving Yugi with all this stuff didn't set well.

Just then, Yugi was caught off guard by a quick flash of white, almost like a ribbon or sheet and before he knew what was happening, he and Solomon were fronted by a slender broomstick with ivory white hair and a friendly smile. He was wearing a denim Calvin Klein mini striped shirt and casual black slacks. Not as fancy and sophisticated attire for this particular atmosphere and Yugi expected something way more expensive and posh, but maybe this guy had some leeway to dress like this. His silvery white hair oscillated in the wind, like ripples in a pond, and he had the brownest eyes Yugi had ever came across, but luckily for him they appeared to be warm and inviting.

"Excuse me," the young man said nervously. "I couldn't help but notice you two struggling with this luggage. Perhaps I can help?"

Yugi liked this guy already. He had a bit of an accent which hinted that he probably was an exchange student or at least not from anywhere around here, but that was cool.

"Sure," grandpa answered before Yugi could. "What's your name young man?"

"Ryou." He extended his hand to grandpa and then Yugi and immediately grabbed a duffel bag of Yugi's. "Nice to meet both of you. I'm assuming you need to find the headmaster's office?"

Yugi arched his eyebrows. He had not the slightest idea where the hell he was supposed to be going. Ryou must have read his expression because he laughed. "You need your class schedule right?"

Yugi blinked. "Yeah, I think so."

Ryou smiled, and Yugi couldn't help but feel a sensation of comfort and warmth around this guy, as if he made his first friend already. "Follow me."

"Do you need me to come with you?"

Yugi cringed and slightly hunched his shoulders. Just as he and Ryou were walking up the long walkway, grandpa intervened. He turned around slowly and grinned. "No grandpa, I'm good. You should get back home before it gets too late. It's a long drive."

"Yeah grandpa, don't worry yourself," Ryou grinned, waving him off and grabbing Yugi's arm. "Everything's under control!"

Before Yugi could add any more of a rebuttal, Ryou was dragging him up the long pathway towards the main office. He could hardly keep up with Ryou's pace and leaving his entire luggage behind, Yugi was soon drenched with sweat despite the cool atmosphere outside. It wasn't too cold but Ryou's steps were pretty brisk and soon it began to feel warmer than Yugi was accustomed to because of the running they were doing. Soon, Yugi began to lose his breath and wanted to ask Ryou to stop or at least slow down, but the wind blowing in his ears probably would've made it impossible to hear.

Finally when Yugi thought they were going to be running forever, they reached the building. It was moderately refurnished judging by the windows that looked so pristinely clear, they almost looked like mirrors. The ground turned to cobblestone once the two reached the door of the front office and Ryou stopped in front of two white twin doors before finally turning around to Yugi, forehead drenched with sweat.

"Are you ready?" he asked, enthused. "This is step one of the rest of your life."

Yugi raised an eyebrow. "It sounds more dramatic than it needs to be but sure. Anything to get this party started."

"Sorry," Ryou laughed nervously. "I always get a little too excited at the beginning of the year. I can never seem to find a good housemate in our dorms. I always get stuck with someone that I don't get along with. I'm hoping that isn't the case with you."

"Oh…" Yugi's face grew warm before he could control it. He didn't even know how Ryou knew he was a freshman, and furthermore, how he assumed they were going to be in the same dorm. Ryou seemed to have been at this school before.

"I'm a sophomore by the way," he said, reading Yugi's mind. "They stick the freshman and sophomores together on one side of the campus and the juniors and seniors on the other side."

"Makes sense….sorta."

"The administration claims it has something to do with age groups but who knows. And who cares to be honest?" Ryou wiped the sweat from his brow and finally let go of Yugi's wrist, which he'd been griping for the longest. "Ready to go in? I'm sure they're expecting you already."

Which was what Yugi was afraid of. He was never good at interacting with authority types so the mere fact that they were anticipating his arrival made the meeting that much more unnerving.

"Don't be nervous." Ryou seemed to have known what Yugi was thinking at the right moment. "It's not as ominous as you think. Headmaster Dartz is actually very nice."

Dartz? Yugi coughed back a laugh in the back of his throat and Ryou passed him an amused glance before opening the door. A chilling blast of cold air confronted them, blowing their hair back as they made their way in. When the door closed, Yugi was astounded at what he saw; Paintings, pictures and murals, most of them representing the school or the people that ran the school. There was no mascot or anything that Yugi would have recognized as a school symbol. Not that he expected a private school to simulate anything relating to a public school. Did they even have a mascot? Maybe Dartz deemed it "beneath them" or something. Yugi was too dazzled by the ornate decorations to even care right now. Everything looked so neat and particular, he would be afraid to even sneeze without breaking something or getting it dirty.

Ryou took him further into the building, past many closed doors but he saw a window perched beside each of them. He wouldn't have known what was going on because Ryou was treading so quickly across the floral carpet that threatened rug burn if you fell on it. Yugi felt his lungs go aflame once again when he realized that Ryou was damn near sprinting towards Dartz's office. What was his rush?

"Ryou," Yugi hissed when he snatched his arm away. "You mind slowing down a bit?"

"Sorry," Ryou tied his hair up in a knot. Why he was carrying a hair tie in the first place, Yugi didn't even want to know. "I just wanna get this over with before we run into—"

And the door behind him flew open before he could finish his sentence. Ryou was shoved to the other side of the wall and was stopped in his tracks when a tall, slender woman exited the office. She was wearing a multicolored tube dress that barely touched her knees and blonde hair that could've been made out of pure horsehair. That's how bone straight it was. She had slanted light blue eyes and moderate makeup that hid any sign of imperfection if she had any. She wasn't very curvy but her conspicuous bust line made up for it. Yugi couldn't help but size her up, but only briefly because he didn't want the lady to think he was undressing her with his eyes. Ryou cleared his throat and straightened his collar. "Excuse me, Miss Valentine."

Said woman appeared not to hear what Ryou had said because she was writing something down on her clipboard. Yugi swallowed hard and thought the worse, until she lifted her eyes and smiled. "Keeping yourself out of trouble Ryou?"

"Of course ma'am." Ma'am? This woman couldn't be any older than twenty-five, but Yugi didn't object. What did he know? This was his first day.

Without offering an apology for damn near knocking Ryou through the wall, Miss Valentine smiled pretentiously and walked off, never even noticing that Yugi was there. He didn't know if he felt offended or relieved. Considering his stature—or lack thereof, the latter seemed to make sense.

Ryou knocked on the door a few feet down from where they were abruptly halted. Yugi straightened his shoulders and took a few deep breaths. He then realized that he had no idea what he was going to say to this guy, nor did he anticipate what he was going to ask. That revelation made Yugi's throat tighten a bit.

"Headmaster Dartz?" Ryou called. No answer. He looked back at Yugi nervously and bit his lower lip before calling again. Still no answer.

Yugi whispered. "Maybe we should come back late—"

"That won't be necessary."

Both boys jumped. Yugi's heart did cartwheels in his stomach and he began shaking. Ryou held his wrist and gave him a reassuring smile before walking inside. Yugi followed timidly.

Sitting at a cherry oak desk was probably the prissiest looking man Yugi had ever laid eyes on. He wore nothing but white from head to toe, even sporting a white handkerchief in the left pocket of his blazer. As a matter of fact, the entire room was white washed, including the carpet.

In fact, the only thing that wasn't white in the entire room, aside from the desk, was Dartz's mahogany brown hair that almost reached his hips. It almost seemed unnatural considering the state of the rest of the room was devoid of any type of color. Creepy wasn't the word for it.

Yugi decided that for now he better keep his mouth shut about it.

"Headmaster Dartz," Ryou greeted formally. "Our new student has finally arrived."

"Ahh," Dartz mused. "Yugi Muto. Glad to finally meet you." He extended his hand.

"Pleasure is all mine sir." Yugi wanted to kick himself for how small his voice sounded. Bad enough he had the petite body frame to match.

"It's so refreshing to finally have a transfer student with real merit. I've been reading up on your accomplishments Mr. Muto. And I must say I'm speechless."

Ryou's brow furrowed. Dartz was hardly impressed with anyone. But two minutes in, and he was already giving Yugi praises. He found himself slightly jealous.

"Thank you sir," Yugi replied sheepishly. He really didn't know what else to say and he wasn't good at small talk, so he hoped Dartz would take the hint and continue.

Which he did, thankfully. "With that being said, we have very high expectations of you at Domino Academy. The recommendation from your soccer coach was more than stellar. Academy award winning, even. He even went the extra mile to send me a few videotapes of you in action. I may even have you playing on the varsity team."

Yugi beamed, optimism radiating his senses. "Really?"

"Don't get your hopes up though," Dartz said quickly holding up a dismissive hand. "That rarely happens with freshmen."

"Oh. . . of course sir."

"Are you aware that every student on this campus has a 9:00 curfew on school nights?"

Yugi stared blankly. He was now.

"No later than 9:00. There will be an off duty teacher on your floor to make sure you guys aren't breaking the rules. So I suggest you don't hang out with anyone who could be a bad influence, Mr. Muto."

Ryou cleared his throat warily. He knew _exactly_ who Dartz was talking about.

"I assure you Mr. Dartz, I'm just here to get the best education this school will offer. I don't have time for needless distractions. I'll be sure to always be on my best behavior."

"Good." Dartz grinned and relaxed in his chair, leaning back. "So I guess that means I won't be seeing you in my office anymore?"

"No you won't sir."

What did Dartz have to worry about? Yugi barely had any friends back home. That's probably why he did so well in school. He never left the house. Being in an entirely different town wouldn't change things a bit.

"And I trust that you will keep an eye on him Mr. Togo?"

Ryou bowed, as if he was saluting the Archduke of France or something. "Yes sir, Headmaster Dartz."

Yugi couldn't help but grin. Ryou was trying entirely too hard to impress this guy. He seemed more lax than he originally thought but maybe that was because they didn't know each other yet. Yugi wasn't sure.

When they were finally dismissed (but not before Dartz handed Yugi tons of packets of information about the school policy and protocol) Ryou once again grabbed Yugi's hand and bolted out of the door. The sun wasn't as high as it was before they walked in the building and Yugi wondered just how long they were in there. He couldn't wonder for long because Ryou took his wrist in a death grip and sped off.

"Ry—Ryou!" Yugi spat in between gasping for breath. "What's the—the big hurry?"

No answer. Ryou continued to sprint back down the cobblestone turned concrete walkway toward the place that they originally met. He ran and ran and ran and Yugi was beginning to feel faint from the lack of oxygen and it wasn't until they got to the sidewalk that Yugi remembered his luggage.

That was now being ransacked by a group of strangers.

"What the!" Yugi reacted before his brain could register was going on. He ripped himself from Ryou's grip and ran towards the crowd of very tall and stout students who were having a field day with his stuff. Ryou knew they were no match, but he couldn't just leave Yugi to get his ass kicked alone. He joined the melee and grabbed the first idiot he saw.

Big mistake.

Ryou was welcomed with a fist in his face, which forced him to stumble backwards on his ass. Pain shot through him but he ignored it for the time being for the sake of saving Yugi and his stuff. Or at least what was going to be _left_ of it.

Shirts and pants were being tossed around like salad and Yugi had trouble picking everything up. He decided not to start an even bigger war and instead just focused on gathering his belongings. The unknown hooligans just cackled and laughed as they snatched the fabric from his hands and ripped it, right before Yugi's eyes.

He lost his reserve after that. "That was my favorite shirt asshole!" Yugi shrieked before he realized what he'd said. Suddenly, the world seemed to stop and grew eerily silent.

The leader of the group, Yugi presumed, grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up with ease. "So the little bitch has a smart mouth huh? You know who you're talking to punk? Didn't anyone ever teach you not to leave your belongings unattended?"

His breath was rancid and his voice was raspy. He had a thick, sturdy neck and arms as wide as a textbook. His lips twisted into a scowl that would probably make Dartz falter a bit.

Ryou gasped so sharply, his chest hurt. "No Yusei wait—"

—but it was proved fruitless. The bully already had his arm raised, fist clenched, and mind made up. Yugi tightened his stomach muscles, waiting for the inevitable. Or maybe he should've shielded his head just in case the brute went for it instead. Who knew? All Yugi did know was that he was about to get his insides mushed into jello.

Well, he would have if it wasn't for . . . .

"Hey guys. Chill out."

Yugi's eyes were closed shut, so he didn't see who his hero was, but as soon as he said that, Yusei dropped him on his ass and Yugi fell with a harsh thud to the ground, but all the more grateful that he didn't get served a knuckle sandwich for dinner.

When he opened his eyes again, the thugs were gone. All that were left was Yugi, Ryou and a roadway full of his clothes that were strewn and scattered all over the place. But who was the person that saved him?

Yugi frantically looked all around and spotted a tall, lithe figure making his way towards the side of the second building next to Dartz's. Vines hung from the side of the building, ascending from the rooftop but as aesthetic looking as that was, it was nothing compared to what Yugi was looking at. Since his savior was so far away, he couldn't get a really good glimpse of him, but Yugi couldn't forget about that black leather jacket. His hands were tucked inside the pockets and before he disappeared around the corner, he stopped and looked back at Yugi. His face and eyes were unreadable, but Yugi could've sworn he saw a small smirk from the corner of his mouth. Or maybe that was wishful thinking.

And with that, he vanished.

Strange. Yugi hadn't felt such a weird vibe with someone before. But it was a good kind of weird. Only he couldn't put his finger on it.

Meanwhile, Ryou was busy gathering Yugi's things—even the tattered garments that obviously were of no use to anyone, let alone him. Yugi stood up gingerly, groaning at the ache in his bottom but chose to ignore it for the sake of helping his new friend.

After a few moments of silence Yugi finally asked. "Who were those guys?"

Ryou's face turned stone solid and grim. "You don't wanna know."


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the late update. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter, even though it took me forever. I hope you guys enjoy reading it :-)

* * *

Yugi and Ryou had to take multiple trips to and from their dormitory to gather all of Yugi's stuff, quickly but surely. Fifteen minutes after their unpleasant run in with the brute squad, Yugi no longer wanted to be outside at all. He followed Ryou on the sidewalk, squinting at the sun's beams pouncing on his eyes and his sweaty shirt sticking to his chest. Because of all of Yugi's belongings, Ryou couldn't sprint like a criminal running from the cops anymore and had to settle for a slower pace. He reached a beige colored building about a few yards away from Dartz's office, walking around the corner until they reached a flight of stairs.

Yugi groaned. "Please tell me you have an elevator around here."

Ryou smiled sheepishly and turned around slowly. "We do, but it's currently shut down for maintenance."

"Great." Yugi wiped sweat from his forehead, keeping all rude comments to himself until they got inside. Thank goodness for air conditioning. It hit him in the face like a brick and gave him a shiver, but Yugi was happy nonetheless and his former irritation dispersed.

Ryou opened the door to their room and Yugi was astonished at how big it was. They each had their own bed on the opposite sides. Yugi's queen sized bed was near the window and the study desk. There was even an iMac and a printer sitting on top of it. They had to share the closet but luckily for Yugi, Ryou didn't stuff the whole thing with his clothes and shoes so there was plenty of room for Yugi's things. The dresser was barren and there was even a mini fridge sitting in the corner behind the closet.

All in all the room seemed comfortable. It lacked any lavishness but maybe that was for the best. Yugi knew that if he was going to focus on his studies, there wasn't any room for distractions.

"What's your schedule like? Maybe we'll have some classes together," Ryou said after pushing Yugi's things against the far wall.

Dartz's secretary had printed out an itinerary for Yugi but he had no time to read it, thanks to Mr. Roadrunner over here. Smirking, Yugi reached into his pocket and unfolded the piece of paper and before he could read what it said, Ryou snatched it from him.

"Hey!—"

Ryou's face dropped when he read the paper. "Oh God. You have P.E class with one of the terrible twos."

Yugi arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

"Don't worry, you will definitely meet them soon. They're usually running around the school causing uproar. It's a shame Dartz hasn't expelled them yet."

Peculiar. Dartz seemed like the kind of man who took no shit, but yet these guys—the terrible twos is it?—seemed to get away with everything. It made Yugi wonder what about them was so special.

"Why do you call them the terrible twos?" Yugi asked.

Ryou half smirked and exhaled deeply. "You'll see."

Well. As long as they weren't anything like that Yusei guy, Yugi could probably manage. He had barely gotten here and already he was being harassed. He didn't need to get on anyone else's bad side.

"You're taking twelfth grade calculus?" Ryou frowned. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

Yugi shrugged nonchalantly, attempting to grab his schedule back but Ryou jumped a step away from him. "I love math."

"So what, are you like a super genius or something?"

"And a super karate champion if you don't give me my schedule!"

Ryou finally receded. "I was done with it anyways. And we don't have any classes together. I didn't think we did since we're in different grades."

Yugi made a face. "Then why did you take my schedule?"

"To give you a hard time."

Rolling his eyes and laughing, Yugi took a look at his schedule:

_1st period: World History_

_2nd period: Literature_

_3rd period: Biology_

_4th period: Calculus_

_5th period: Media production_

_6th period: Physical education_

Busy, busy, busy. Yugi went over his schedule about two or three times before placing it back in his pants. On top of all the schoolwork he would be doing, he'd also have to try out for the soccer team. After all, that's what the scholarship to this school came from. Oh boy, this was going to be such an interesting and active year.

"Let's go get some breakfast. I hope you're hungry," Ryou said. "After that, we'll have to go to mass. That'll be interesting."

"Mass?" Yugi queried.

"Yeah. It's where all of the student body gather in one place to listen to the day's events, agendas, etcetera. . ." he made a snoring noise in the back of his throat. "Most of it would be boring if it weren't for our friends from this morning."

Yugi gulped. "Friends?"

"Yeah." Ryou gave him an exasperated stare. "I know you haven't forgotten that quick."

How could he? Especially since he had a guardian angel that apparently liked to dress up in leather jackets. "No, of course not."

"Let's just hope they're not in the cafeteria. Come on, let's go get some—"

He was interrupted when the door opened too quickly for him to react and slammed in his face. Ryou cursed as he fell back and crashed into the closet door and almost fell right through it if he didn't catch his balance. Yugi jumped back too and dropped on his bed. Three guys bum rushed their way inside, one of them holding a screwdriver and a handful of nails. That certainly was suspicious.

"Dammit!" Ryou snarled when he scrambled back to his feet. "There's a little thing they invented called knocking, heard of it yet?"

"Aww, did someone forget to change his tampon today?"

Everyone burst into laughter, including Yugi, but he quickly straightened his face when Ryou shot him an angry glare. "Sorry."

"Don't be," the brunet boy snickered. He was the one wielding the screwdriver, which meant he was probably a troublemaker. "This is a daily ritual. Wake up, take a shower, eat breakfast, and make Ryou our bitch."

This time, the taller, shaggier blond spoke up. "But it seems as if Ryou is trying to bring someone down with him. Poor kid. Did he offer to carry your shit with you to the dorm too?"

Yugi's face slightly flushed, and that was all the blond needed to see.

"It's called being nice, something you know nothing about," Ryou retorted, grabbing Yugi's arm and bringing him by his side. "Cut Yugi some slack, this is his first day."

"Really?" said the other brunet kid, devilish grin and all. "Oh kid, you came at just the right time."

Ryou facepalmed. "What did you guys do?"

"Before we answer," the first brunet beamed, "Why don't you stop being rude and introduce us?"

"I'm pretty sure I already know who you two are," Yugi confessed, noticing that the brunets were identical twins. "The terrible twos, right?"

"Yugi!" Ryou snapped.

"What?"

"So that's what Ryou calls us behind our backs?"

Yugi smiled ruefully. "I'm sorry, I didn't know—"

"Oh, don't worry, we call him worse shit behind his." He walked toward Yugi, putting an arm around his shoulder. "I'm Joshua by the way." He pointed to his brother. "And this is Jordan."

Joshua and Jordan were complete clones of each other; except one had blue eyes and the other had green. Joshua had extraordinarily curly hair, almost perfect looking, and Jordan's hair was shaved. Other than that, it was hard to tell them apart.

This was always hard. Meeting new people. Yugi never really knew what to say but these guys had already made him feel pretty at home, if making him laugh was an indication.

"Cool hair," Jordan ran both of his hands roughly into Yugi's unique tresses, much to his displeasure. "It looks like thunder and lightning had a baby and crapped you out."

Josh rolled his eyes. "It's obvious who the more intelligent twin is here."

"But you're forgetting the other factor. The ringleader," the blond then joined Yugi, Josh and Jordan. "I'm Joey. And don't let these guys lie to you, I run this shit."

Ryou rolled his eyes, but in a way he knew Joey was right.

"Okay, I'm starting to feel like a girl now," Josh said, walking towards the door. "I don't know about you losers, but my tank is empty and mass is in an hour. And I need to go fill up before the festivities begin."

Why did that sound like an omen? Yugi made a wary face, but decided not to say anything to upset his new friends. He figured he would cause more harm than good if he did that, because Josh seemed pretty batshit crazy already. It would take a while for Yugi to figure out if that was a good or bad thing.

Everyone followed Josh outside of the room and back outside. It was the afternoon and the sun's warmth and cool autumn breeze were the perfect combination and distracted Yugi a little. He noticed that there were more students outside than before but no one that he recognized. A part of him was hoping to run into his mystery savior but nope. No luck. The more Yugi pondered, the more he started to believe that maybe this guy was a figment of his imagination. Maybe he was a mirage considering he was overheated from running around so much with Ryou.

Once they reached the cafeteria, the atmosphere turned from peaceful to complete disarray. When Josh opened the double doors, he looked back at everyone who swapped amused glances with him, all except Ryou and Yugi. Ryou looked annoyed while Yugi looked mildly intimidated.

Jordan noticed this and put his hand on Yugi's shoulder. "By the end of the week, you'll be used to this."

Yugi looked back at him and cocked an eyebrow. "That's three days from now!"

Jordan shrugged. "That's what I meant."

Wow. This kid was just as nutty as his brother. Without saying another word and letting the others take the lead, Yugi stood close to Ryou and Joey while the twins lead them inside.

Almost immediately without warning, Yugi ducked as a chocolate chip muffin was thrown his way, right at his head. He wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not but he wasn't going to stick around to find out. Before he decided whether or not he was going to yell, he noticed that kids were at the tables, talking and fooling around rambunctiously and there was not even one responsible adult in sight.

"Someone must have done something stupid again and caught all of their attention," Ryou mused bitterly, reading the expression on Yugi's face.

"This is _normal_?" Yugi grimaced.

Josh laughed. "You've got a lot to learn porcupine head."

Did he ever. Josh lead the group to the cafeteria line to get their food. It was hard not to run into someone and it made Yugi wonder if this was really a top-notch private school or a three-ring circus. No one was really acting like the former. Except maybe Ryou of course.

At least the food looked appetizing. Josh grabbed a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries, some bacon, and a muffin. Jordan grabbed the same except instead of a muffin, he took a cup of strawberries. Joey grabbed a huge slab full of grits, eggs, sausage, bacon and two donuts. Surprisingly—or maybe not surprisingly, Ryou just grabbed an orange and bottle of water. Yugi didn't want to look like a pig on his first day, so he just grabbed some cereal, milk and banana nut muffin.

It was hard to keep up with the others, considering his legs weren't as long, but Yugi strived. Holding the tray in his hands, he nearly got knocked over by a careless student not watching where she was going. Yugi scowled. Bitch almost knocked his milk down. He took sight of Ryou's ivory hair—thank God it was so conspicuous—and headed straight for him like a bullet.

And in the process, Yugi ran straight into another human wall.

But this wasn't just a regular wall. Yugi fell flat on his ass, food splattering all around him, cursing out loud when the milk sloshed right into his hair. How did he manage that?

"Dammit," he hissed under his breath. "I'm so sorry about that."

He was half expecting to get his ass kicked a second after, but nothing happened. As a matter of fact, the whole entire cafeteria went silent, hard as that was to believe. Yugi looked up and gasped as he found out why.

It was the enigmatic stranger; The boy who saved him from getting pummeled earlier that day. He had on that same leather jacket, with his hands stuffed inside the pockets, only now, Yugi could see the eye catching silver embroidery that stitched the lining of the garment. Not something Yugi was used to seeing, but everyone had their style. He wasn't one to judge. Swallowing a frog, he slowly gave the boy a once-over and was taken aback at the pair of gorgeous dark mauve eyes staring back at him. They were so intimidatingly attractive and pensive, seemingly able to figure out what Yugi was thinking.

Or maybe the crimson blush was giving him away. Yugi noticed that the boy was wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath his jacket. It was snug enough to reveal his athletic and concrete chest muscles, leaving very little to the imagination. And Yugi's pretty much said that the guy had a magnificently hot body.

His skin grew warm when the boy bent down to his level, face unreadable yet for some reason not angry for someone who just almost got knocked over. Yugi's face flushed up to the level of a furnace and he wanted to kick himself for blushing like an immature schoolgirl in front of this guy. Plus with all of the milk in his hair, he was sure he looked pretty idiotic.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you. . ." Yugi's voice trailed off when the boy looked down at the muffin that was still on his tray, and his expression brightened a bit. Yugi's did too. His heart rate slowed and didn't sound like a conga drum in his chest once it became apparent that he wasn't going to get pounded into mush, even though he may have deserved it.

To Yugi's astonishment, the boy took the muffin, tossed it slightly in the air, and caught it with his hand effortlessly. He looked at Yugi again and took a bite of the food.

"My favorite," he said huskily, his chiseled cheekbones curving into a handsome smile and followed by a devilish wink. Then he stood up with his newfound morsel and walked away.

Yugi nearly fainted. He felt the heat of his blush travel down south and he instinctively squeezed his legs together. Not surprisingly, they felt like jello and he had a hard time getting up. Luckily for him, he saw Ryou, Joshua, Jordan and Joey make a beeline for him when the chatter in the cafeteria stirred up again.

"Dude, what the hell was that?" Josh demanded, picking Yugi up from under his arms. "Yami could've killed you."

Yami? That was his name? Yugi didn't even care at that point. He just knew he had to get to know that dreamboat on legs in the distant future. He just had to.

"I'm surprised he didn't," Jordan added. "With anyone else, their heads would've been rolling on the floor."

"What did you say to him kid? Don't tell me you offered him your lunch money."

"No, of course not," Yugi glared at Josh for such an insinuation. "The guy took my muffin."

"I'm sure you wanted him to take something else though," Joey snorted.

"Muffin huh? Is that code name for dick?" Jordan tittered.

Yugi's embarrassing blush returned with a vengeance and to add insult to injury, Josh made a penis sucking gesture with his hand and his mouth and everyone roared, even Ryou. Though it was at his expense, Yugi couldn't help but to smile either. At least he knew he quickly found a group of people already that made him feel like he belonged, and it was worth the slight humiliation. As long as they didn't make it an every day thing.

When Yugi finally cleaned himself up, they sat at the table, across from a group of girls, all of whom looked way too fashionable and sophisticated to be at a school right now. Clean, slicked jewelry hung from their ears, fingers and wrists. There were a total of six girls, Yugi counted, and their chatter stopped once the boys arrived. When they all noticed Yugi, their expressions changed dramatically.

"Well Josh, I see you brought some new meat," one of the girls said with a giggle. She was a beautiful brunette with a bob haircut that hugged her smooth jawline. She wore a teal tie-dye print tube dress that hung low enough in the front to expose a large percent of her cleavage. Yugi found himself slightly enamored.

"He's cute," another girl said. The rest of the fold agreed and Yugi's face flushed for like a tenth time that day.

"Sorry Vivian, Yugi doesn't like beat up tacos—ow!" Josh rubbed his shin under the table when it was expectedly kicked for his comment. "Bitch. You almost kicked me in the balls."

"Next time I won't miss." Vivian jeered.

"Yeah you would," Jordan pitched in, mouth full of oatmeal. "His shit is so small, you need a private eye to go find it."

"Fuck you," Josh shot back and flung a spoonful of his own oatmeal at his brother. Jordan wisely ducked and the gooey, warm substance ended up hitting Yugi square in the face.

"Aww, let me get that for you."

Before anyone could react, the busty brunette grabbed a napkin and reached her way all across the table, wiping Yugi's cheek and chin and also giving the rest of the guys a bird's eye view of her DDs.

"Careful Teá, your slut is showing," Joey mocked. "Are you trying to get us to milk the cow over here?"

"Shut up," Teá snapped. "At least I'm trying to make Yugi feel more welcomed, unlike some of you jackasses."

"By offering him your body?" Josh retorted, and got smacked in the forehead for his efforts. "Hey, I'm just sayin'."

Secretly, Yugi wouldn't have complained if that was what Teá was really doing, though he highly doubted it. The rest of the morning consisted of offbeat shenanigans and formal introductions between Yugi and the rest of the crew. The other four girls, Alexis, Isis, Miho and Rebecca were all closely linked with Teá and Vivian but unlike the latter, they were more quiet and reserved. All the more better for Yugi since he was the same.

When breakfast was over, there was just an hour left before morning mass. Yugi had no remote idea what to do or where to go besides his dorm, which he later discovered was called Elvira, but he didn't want to part ways with his new friends because he was having so much fun. Eventually after discovering that there was no danger outside the perimeters, administration showed up and demanded to know where the culprit was that sent them out there to begin with.

Of course, no one in the cafeteria spoke up.

That was the unspoken rule that Yugi learned about quickly: Keep your mouth shut. And if he was going to fit in with Ryou and the rest of the gang, he was gonna have to abide by it.

Everyone dispersed back to their dorms to get ready for the morning meeting. The twins suspiciously had to "double check" something and before anyone could question them, they ran off.

"It could be anything," Ryou explained, when he and Yugi were back in the room. "With them you never know. They could be planting cherry bombs in Dartz's mailbox or something."

"Seriously?" Yugi's eyes widened.

"It's happened before."

Ryou rolled his eyes, amused at Yugi's bewilderment as he put away the last of his belongings in either the closet or in the five-dresser drawer with side moldings, and a rich espresso laminate finish. For something so every day and simple, it sure was beautiful. Yugi was starting to already get spoiled being in a place like this. He would never have furnishings like this in Aurora. His grandpa could barely afford shoes, let alone a new dresser.

"So tell me," Yugi prompted. "How long have you been hanging with those guys?"

"Since last year," Ryou replied with a snicker. "Believe it or not I wasn't always friends with them. It's kind of an accident that I ended up stuck with them."

"So what happened?" Yugi asked.

"Long story," Ryou sighed, "And I don't have all day to explain. Listen Yugi don't get me wrong, those are my best friends, but sometimes hanging out with them isn't in your best interest. The twins will get you into trouble so fast. Just be careful around them."

Yugi nodded, taking note of what Ryou said but how bad could those guys be? The twins were totally hilarious and Joey was the cool leader of the group. Yugi wondered why Ryou was wary of his own friends but maybe that was in his nature to be.

"Tell me something else about them then," Yugi prodded. "If we're gonna be hanging together, I need to know about them."

"Why don't you just ask them yourself?" Ryou teased in a sing-song voice.

Yugi blushed. "Well you know them better than me, I just thought it would be a more accurate source."

Ryou sat by Yugi on his bed, a little too close than Yugi would've expected. He laughed and wrapped an arm around the smaller male, slightly squeezing his shoulder. "Come on man, it's the first day. Don't get your boxers all in a bunch. Just relax and enjoy it."

He was right. Maybe Yugi was trying too hard too fast too soon. He figured it was just an automatic response for wanting to fit in around this place but he had already found a group to hang out with, so what was he worried about?

Yugi didn't notice that Ryou was secretly observing his profile, but a pink flush spread across his cheeks when he realized what had just happened. Ryou jumped up nervously and pretended to look for something in his luggage while Yugi stared incredulously. What was that all about?

Instead of bringing attention to it, he decided to change the subject. "So what's up with that Yami guy? And why is he hanging out with someone like Yusei?"

"Oh, you think Yami seems nice? I'd rethink that if I were you," Ryou scowled, walking into the bathroom to put his toothbrush inside the stand. "He hangs out with Yusei, Bakura, Kaiba, Keith, and Mahad. They're all a bunch of assholes."

"You mean like the guys _you_ hang out with?"

Ryou stuck his head out of the bathroom, mouth full of foamy toothpaste, and pulled his tongue out. "_Not_ like our guys," he replied after he spit in the sink. "Joshua and Jordan are . . . special cases." He brushed his teeth a little more before he spoke again. "And Joey just has too much confidence."

"Yeah I noticed." Yugi giggled. "But I mean come on. If Yami wanted to torture me, he would have already? Remember what he did for us this morning? He made those guys back off."

"You can never be too sure about someone like that," Ryou insisted, not at all surprised at Yugi's ignorance. He was wiping his mouth with a paper towel before throwing it at Yugi. Luckily, he missed. "Yami is like a rubix cube, that one."

"Does he have a girlfriend?" Yugi blushed violently once he realized what he said, but it was too late to take it back. "Not that I care. I was just—"

"Wow, Yami has your underwear in a bind already. And to answer your question, no he doesn't. He is quite the male whore though," Ryou shuddered and made a face. "They all are."

That didn't surprise Yugi. He was sure that girls like Tea, Vivian, Alexis, Miho, Rebecca and Isis had a shot with those guys at least once. They appeared to be the types of girls who were only into guys who had money. Far from Yugi's type, but nonetheless, they were pretty easy on the eyes and that was as far as he could get with them.

That was fine with Yugi. Yami was the only person who held his attention, sex-god that he was, though from Ryou's viewpoint was very unavailable. But why did that only make Yugi more interested?

"What about our three guys? Are they womanizers too?"

"Joey is. Jordan's never lasted in a relationship for more than two weeks. Commitment phobe."

"And Josh?"

Ryou shot up an eyebrow. "Surprisingly, when he's not single, he's a pretty well behaved guy. But he is so . . ."

He didn't need to finish his sentence. Yugi got the message. He figured question and answer time could be postponed for another day because they had to go to this assembly in about fifteen minutes. The two boys threw on their sweaters and hopped into their shoes before heading off.

There were way more students outside now, bustling and pushing their way to the auditorium. Yugi wrapped his arm around Ryou's so they wouldn't get separated knowing how it must have looked, and Ryou fought his blush before Yugi could notice. He smiled self-consciously, leading his new friend towards a building that looked more like a modern day cathedral more than anything. No wonder it was called "mass". Although Yugi was sure nothing holy was going to happen in this place.

There was no sign of Josh, Jordan or Joey so Yugi concluded that they would probably meet up with them inside. Ryou semi-dragged Yugi off the grass and onto solid sidewalk on a side of a building that Yugi wasn't familiar with yet. Simple green vines and small petunias hung from the rafters. The décor looked a little staged as if deliberately planted there but Yugi didn't count on this place's landscaping to be at the top of their list.

Lost in his thoughts, Yugi felt a physical force in between him and Ryou that drove their arms apart. A group of students had pushed their way through them and pretty soon a whole flood of people had filled in the gap and separated them. "Oh, great," Yugi glared at the culprits and didn't say anything, just continued walking.

He hadn't taken five steps before bumping into someone else, so hard that it sent Yugi crashing into the brick wall, his back smacking into it with a sick thud.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!"

Yugi's head was slightly dizzy and he was squatting when he felt a pair of hands grabbing his arm and helping him up. He was about to articulate an insult when he stopped dead in his tracks.

Staring back at him was a pair of the prettiest lavender eyes Yugi had ever seen, so soft and ambient, sitting above a relaxed jawline fixed into a warm smile. Upon further observation, the stranger had sun-kissed skin that exhibited the most perfect shade of caramel. He wore a wild orchid polo shirt from Ralph Lauren and white slacks that hugged his sturdy hips. Yugi swallowed hard when he noticed solid, lithe muscles on the guy's arms. In short, he was beautiful.

"Sorry about that kiddo, I didn't see you," the guy repeated, scratching the back of his long platinum blond hair. "Although you can't really blame me. I'm Marik by the way. And you are?"

Yugi's eyes blinked as he searched his brain for a response. "Y-Yugi."

"Well aren't you adorable. I haven't seen you around here before."

_Adorable?_ Yugi hated that word, but for the sake of his gorgeous new friend, he swallowed his pride and answered, "That's because I'm new here."

"Is that so?" There was a gleam in Marik's eyes that Yugi couldn't help to think was a tie between admiration and infatuation. "How do you like it so far?"

"Well I've only been here for a few hours," Yugi confessed, noticing that the crowd of kids were dying down, and they should get going. "But I've met some pretty cool people already." He smirked when he thought about Josh and Jordan.

"That's good." Marik looked nervous. Yugi would have otherwise thought of him as someone confident and sure of himself but when he observed Marik fidgeting, he thought otherwise. Marik's hands couldn't stay still. "I'm sorry again for bumping you into the wall. . ."

"You're fine," Yugi assured him, though he meant that in more ways than one. Marik was extremely attractive, maybe even more so than Yami. He couldn't get over how imperviously tan his body was. Marik was so toned and built, it took Yugi's breath away. "Listen, I would stay here and talk some more, but I need to get inside."

"Let's meet up later then," Marik suggested quickly, just as Yugi was about to take off. "Just you and me."

Yugi stopped and arched an eyebrow. "You mean, like the two of us?"

Marik straightened his shoulders, looking way more confident than he did moments ago. "Of course I mean the two of us. I know a little hideout that we can go to that not even Dartz knows about."

Yugi made a face. He wasn't stupid. "Or maybe we can go somewhere else that's a little more public?"

Marik grinned slyly and Yugi blushed, despite himself. "Whatever you want."

"There you are!"

Both Yugi and Marik turned their heads abruptly and Josh was running towards them. As soon as he saw Marik, he scowled. "Bring your ass on Yugi. It's about to start."

"Sorry." Yugi broke eye contact with Marik and noticed that Josh looked irritated—angry even. As soon as Yugi was close enough, Josh grabbed his arm and took off before Marik had a chance to say goodbye.

When they were far enough away, Josh let his arm go. "I'd stay away from him if I were you."

Yugi blinked. "Who, Marik?"

"Nawww." Josh rolled his eyes and chuckled as they entered the "cathedral." It was absolutely packed and Yugi prayed that Josh already saved a few seats for them. There were rows and rows of pews that started at the front of the place, all the way to the back. There were tall ceiling to floor windows, stained with dark purple curtains covering them. If the sun weren't so bright outside piercing through the windows, it would be pitch dark. Yugi grabbed Josh's wrist as he lead them towards the back of the auditorium where he recognized Teá and the other five girls that he met earlier. Blushing, he waved awkwardly and they all waved back. Teá especially.

He yelped when he felt Josh pushing him into the pew directly behind the girls. Tripping over a few feet, Yugi scrambled to the first empty seat he found, in between Ryou and Joey.

"Where'd you go?" Ryou asked him. "I lost you."

"Sorry about that," Yugi murmured, lowering his gaze to the floor. "I guess we kinda got separated by that mob of kids."

"I caught him talking to Marik."

Yugi shot Josh a hard glare and all he got back was a lazy shrug and before he could protest anything, Jordan blurted out, "Marik? Dick-slinging Marik? The same Marik who will fuck anything with half a pulse and twice the sperm count?"

Josh twisted his face in a scowl. "I don't even wanna know how you know that."

His brother looked at him but ignored him. "He wanted to meet you at his 'special place' didn't he?" Jordan teased Yugi using air quotes.

"Damn Yugi," Joey whistled. "It's your first day and you've already got two guys chasing your dick."

"Enough about dick already," Ryou groaned. He was starting to wish there were more girls in their social group.

Yugi felt somewhat the same. Even though it was flattering, he didn't come to Domino Academy for meaningless romance. It would have distracted him from what he came there to do and he couldn't afford any screw ups all in the name of love.

"Was Jordan right though?" he whispered to Ryou. "Is Marik really that bad?"

"I wouldn't know or care, and you shouldn't either. But he hangs out with Yusei, so that should tell you enough."

Yugi hummed softly to himself. He felt silly inquiring about someone he barely just met but there was something about Marik that incited a force within him that made him want to know more about him. Maybe it was his adolescent hormones taking over, which sounded embarrassing but part of Yugi couldn't help himself. Marik was as striking as they came.

The student body continued their chatter throughout the sanctuary until a loud whistle from the front of the building hushed them to complete silence. Yugi spun his head around so quickly that it hurt his neck doing so. He winced as he and the rest of the congregation watched Dartz walk up to a podium and tape the microphone a few times before he spoke into it.

He looked authoritatively different than when Yugi met him earlier. He was now wearing a cotton cashmere button down shirt, a velvet blazer and sharp velvet pants. It was simple enough but somehow Dartz knew how to make even the plainest of attire look like something out a Vogue magazine. Sitting to his left was Mai Valentine, his assistant . . . or whatever she was to him. Yugi wasn't quite sure and Ryou never even told him who she was to Dartz. For all Yugi knew, she could've been his wife.

Poor guy.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the student body," Dartz's voice reverberated into the mic and through the speakers. "Welcome to another year at Domino Academy. I trust everyone has gone over their schedules and other paraphernalia so I won't have to go over it?"

No one really said anything except for a low hum of murmurs so Dartz continued. "Good. All rise for the pledge of allegiance."

Well this was familiar, thankfully. Yugi stood up before anyone else did and he saw from the corner of his eyes the twins looking at him incredulously. It was uncanny how they were carbon copies of each other. It was like looking at the same person twice. Yugi wasn't used to being around twins, but he guessed he had better get used to it soon.

"This shit is gonna be so boring," Joey grumbled under his breath once the pledge was over. He turned to Yugi. "Get ready for thirty minutes of dull, monotonous bullshit."

"I'm surprised you know a word that big," Jordan blurted out and was punched in the arm for his efforts. "Bitch."

"God," Tea spun her head back and scolded the boys for being too loud. "I don't think they heard you in China."

"Down girl," Josh rolled his eyes. "Breeding season will be in session soon. Keep those ovaries on ice a little bit longer."

Yugi laughed before he could catch himself, cupping his mouth. Teá shot him a harsh glare before she turned back around.

"This year at Domino Academy, we're going to be handling things a little bit differently. Because of the unfortunate incident last year, we've included key cards that will be delivered to each and every single one of your dorms next week. Make sure to keep them with you at all times."

Yugi perched an eyebrow. That was definitely interesting. He had to ask Ryou later what caused the height in security. It must have been something big.

"And," Dartz added, "You are not to be out of your dorms after ten on school nights." Almost on cue a collection of groans and boos stirred from the crowd.

Mai stood up and blew a loud whistle to quiet everyone down. "Quiet!" she spat venomously.

When everyone obeyed, Dartz continued. "Thank you, Miss Valentine. As I was saying, no student is to be out of his or her dorm after ten o' clock. We have to ensure the safety of every single person here and we are accountable for your well-being. Anyone caught outside after that time will be gravely punished." For some reason, Yugi could've sworn that Dartz was looking dead at him. But then it took him a few more seconds to realize that he was really looking at . . .

"Gotta be shittin me," Josh muttered, crossing his arms and slouching in his seat. Jordan did the same. Joey and Ryou just laughed at their expense. Yugi just stared.

To the boys' surprise, Dartz was still staring with such a fierce glare, Yugi gripped the side of his red plush seat. It was intimidating. "And I do mean gravely punished. I will be especially keeping an eye on those of you who like to cause trouble around here."

Yep. He was definitely talking about the twins.

Down the pew, Yugi could hear a bunch of snickering that wasn't coming from his friends. He turned his head and nearly choked when he saw Yami, Yusei, Bakura, Kaiba, Keith and Mahad sitting dangerously close to them, only about six or seven students in between them. But looking further, Yugi saw that it was only Yusei, Bakura and Keith cackling amongst themselves. Yami was leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees looking up towards the front at Dartz, and slightly shaking his head. Kaiba had his face buried in his cell phone and Mahad was sitting at the very end, one of his legs sitting on top of the other, looking at his friends in near disgust.

But no Marik.

"Ahem. That goes for you gentlemen as well."

Dartz made sure his mouth was practically on top of the mic when he said that to Yusei and his posse. That certainly shut them up. "Anyone deviating from this rule and any others will be facing a possible probationary period."

"Damn," Joey huffed under his breath. "He sure knows how to kill the mood."

Jordan nodded. "Tell me about it."

"Before I forget, and I apologize for doing so, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of our incoming freshman. Whether it be by scholarship or your own hard working merit, it matters not here at Domino Academy. You have chosen the right place to further your education and I assure you with the upmost confidence that you will have the most life changing experience of your life."

Yugi could already see evidence of that happening. He wasn't even here a full day and had a group of friends already. Unfortunately he had also made a handful of enemies, but at least the former could help him cope with that dilemma. On top of that, he had two potential could-be boyfriends.

Twenty minutes of more rambling from Dartz, and they were finally dismissed. Ryou insisted that Yugi finish unpacking the rest of his stuff despite Joshua, Jordan and Joey wanting to take Yugi somewhere to "break him in." Ryou knew that only meant trouble.

It was about five minutes before ten before they finally finished. "Wow, I didn't know it took this long to set a room up."

"It wouldn't have if you didn't keep trying to take breaks," Ryou scolded. "And I'm about to hop in the shower. Are you excited about school starting in two days?"

"At first I wasn't," Yugi admitted. "But today was pretty awesome." He yawned, despite not feeling that tired. "I guess I better get used to going to bed early huh?"

"You bet," said Ryou and closed the door to the bathroom, but not before throwing a hand towel at Yugi, hitting him square in the head.

He sat down on the bed and checked his phone. No messages from grandpa yet. Yugi wasn't too bothered by it. There was a lot going on today anyways, so he probably wouldn't have been able to dedicate a lot of time talking. Some other time though.

Yugi looked out of the window, just to pass some time. It was a pretty clear sky, with a mellow breeze swaying the crisp palm trees. There was a brown leaf on the windowpane, which prompted more when the wind suddenly picked up. It must have felt so nice and cool out there. Yugi unlocked the window and shivered immediately at the brisk and sharp chill that invaded his bones and blanketed his skin, goose bumps at the harbor. It felt so good; he wondered why the air conditioning was even needed.

It wasn't long before Yugi was lost in his musings. What was the deal with Marik? He had seemingly come out of nowhere and he appeared to have liked Yugi. And no doubt Yugi found him attractive. He couldn't stop thinking about that beautiful bronze skin and captivating lavender eyes. Marik almost seemed like a dream. Despite warnings from Joshua, part of Yugi wished he could see Marik again.

"Ow!" Yugi grimaced when a small rock hit him right in the head. He opened the window a little more and gazed down and to his surprise, Marik was standing on the ground, wearing a black Nike hybrid sleeveless basketball shirt (wasn't he cold?), and track pants of the same color. His broad shoulders and beefy muscles were all Yugi could transfix his gaze on. He couldn't help it. Marik was even sexier than he remembered.

"Sorry," he snickered. "I was trying to hit the window."

"Well you missed." Yugi couldn't be mad at his efforts. "What are you doing here?"

"To see you again of course. Why else would I be here?"

Yugi pursed his lips to the side. "And why is that?"

"Because I think you're cute and I wanna talk to you some more," Marik said frankly. "And honestly I wanted to do it without your little friends around."

"Don't you hang out with Yusei?" Yugi demanded.

Marik bounced his shoulders. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Nothing I guess . . ." Yugi looked at his phone and the time read 10:09. Definitely past curfew. He couldn't leave and Marik probably knew that despite being absent at the assembly. So why was he blatantly breaking the rules? "It's just that it's past ten o'clock."

"So?" Marik retorted with another nonchalant shrug. "Have you always followed the rules?"

_Yes, but you don't need to know that._ Yugi bit his bottom lip and looked towards the bathroom door. Ryou was still in the shower and he didn't know how long he would stay in there. Could Yugi really just leave like that, with no regard to the policies whatsoever? Dartz would kill him. Not to mention Ryou and the rest of the gang.

"I promise not to keep you out long. Please Yugi? I just want to talk to you."

Damn, that sultry, silky voice. It was like music to Yugi's ears. He glanced back down at Marik and gasped. He had a mock frown on his face, looking absolutely adorable. And . . . and was that a dimple? No wait, _two_? Yugi's heart sank. It was unfair how someone could look so perfect.

Could he really do this? Purposely break the rules just to go see some hot, athletic, possibly horny fellow student? Sure it was after curfew but . . . Marik only said he'd keep Yugi out for a few minutes, and if things went bad, well, Yugi knew how to run and draw attention to himself.

"Yugi?"

He really couldn't believe he was about to do this. "I'll be right down," he replied with a nervous grin.

* * *

Please review! :) **And also, Strawberry/Raspberry licks will be updated next. That's been long overdue. And would you guys be so kind to vote in my poll if you haven't already? Thanks!**


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